Oil and gas reclaiming plug



Av JAN H. LEWS OIL AND GAS RECLAIMING PLUG Jan. 19, 1932.

Filed Sept. 17, 1950 Elli INVENTOR Patented Jan. 19, 1932 ALBERT VANHOOK LEWIS, OF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA OIL AND GAS RECLAIMING- PLUGApplication iled'September 17, 1930. Serial No. 482,522.

My invention relates to plugs for oil and gas wells and particularly toa plug for shutting olf either oil, gas or water in oil and gas wells.

i The invention consists of certain novel features and details ofconstruction, .as will 'be more fully described hereinafter and finallypointed out in the claim. Y

I will now describe my invention reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in which similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts` and in which Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the femalemember of the plug in its unexpanded position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the plug proper in position and the femalemember in the expanded position.

Fig. 3 is another somewhat similar View,

taken on line 1 1, of Fig. 2, showing the auxiliary plug in positionabove the main plug, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of what is termed, a placing tool.

A, represents a drilled hole of an oil or gas well, and B, C, and D, thefemale members of the plug. The lower section. C, and D, of the femalemember of the plug may be made of either wood or metal and is in twosections as shown; this member has attached to it by means of screws orotherwise, a rubber section B, which is cylindrical in form.

rEhe wood or metal bottom section is barbed on two sides as shown by thereference letters E, and is also provided with two springs F,

and G, the purpose of which is to provide additional anchorage to thewall of the well when expanded.

VThe female member is pushed into the well t" by means of a placingtool, shown in Fig. 4,

of the drawings. This placing tool is connected to the stem or jarrersand the female member is placed on and over it, and is held in place bya small rope or wire. The tools are then lowered into the well, saidtools pushing the female member down into the hole to whatever depth isrequired to shut o' the oil, water or gas, as the case may be. The toolis then withdrawn and the male member H, of the plug is lowered intoplace, where it is driven tightly to place within the female member,thus expanding said member outwardly and into the wall of the well.

After this operation, l next insert the auxiliary plug which is made inthree parts I, J, and K, and drive it down and against the top of themale member H, of the plug proper. rllhe center section expanding theother two sections and preventing the main plug from being forced out ofposition.

By the use of my improved plug, I have been enabled to accomplish acomplete shut oli" of either water, gas or oil from a well, thus savingeither vthe oil or gas, as may be desired, thereby preventing water fromdrowning out either oil or gas, or shutting olf either oil or gas inwells that have been drilled to sands deeper than producing sands above,and also protecting adjacent wells by stopping water from going down andflooding adjacent areas.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byletters patent is:

l. A well plug consisting of a split lower sleeve surmounted by atubular upper sleeve of resilient material, the bores of said sleevesbeing in an axial alignment, said lower sleeve being formed of aplurality of rigid wedge members having curved outer faces provided withanchoring barbs and curved downwardly converging inner faces, and adownwardly tapered mandrel adapted to be inserted in the bores of saidsleeves to expand them into contact with the wall of the well, allsubstantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. A well plug consisting of a split sleeve surmounted by a tubularupper sleeve of resilient material, the bores of said sleeves being inaxial alignment, said lower sleeve being' formed of n plurality of rigidlongitudinally extending` Wedge members having curved outer faces endCurved downwardly converging inner faces a downwardly tapered mandreladapted to enter the bores of said sleeves to expand them into ContactWith the Wall of the Well, and an auxiliary plug adapted to be Setagainst the upper end of the mandrel to liold it Securely in its sleeveexpanding position, :ill substantially as and for the purposes shown anddescribed.

ln testimony that 'l claim the 'foregoing as my own invention, l navehereunto Set my hund.

ALBERT VAN HOOK LEVS.

